A 65-year-old grandmother from Lincoln has died from an aggressive brain tumour after her early symptoms were mistaken for depression. Pamela Cook began experiencing dizziness and extreme fatigue shortly after her daughter’s wedding in March 2023. When she visited her GP, she was prescribed antidepressants and told her symptoms were related to low mood.

According to her daughter, Clair Bowkett, Pamela returned to the doctor several times as her condition worsened. Each time, she was advised to continue the medication. It was only when she was taken to A&E for an MRI scan that a large brain tumour—later identified as glioblastoma—was discovered. By then, Clair says, “it was too late.”

Surgery in November removed much of the tumour, and Pamela bravely underwent six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the treatment left her increasingly weak, and scans in February showed the cancer had returned. She passed away peacefully at home on March 24, 2024, surrounded by her family.

Clair describes the speed of her mother’s decline as “impossible to make sense of.” Pamela had enjoyed a cruise in August and seemed healthy—yet within months, glioblastoma had taken her mobility, speech, and independence.

Determined to honour her mother’s memory, Clair and her sisters are taking part in Brain Tumour Research’s “99 Miles in November” challenge. Funds raised will support a new Centre of Excellence in Nottingham, focused on improving early detection and treatment for glioblastoma.

Clair says, “If this research had existed sooner, Mum’s story might have been different. Helping others now gives us a sense of purpose.”